Universal joint.



PATENTED MAY 12, 190s.'

2 S HEETS-SHEET 1.

G. A. BREWER. UNIVERSAL JOINT. APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 23, 1901.

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CHARLES A. BREWER, OF NOROTON HEIGHTS, CONNECTICUT.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. May 12, 1908.

Application filed August 23, 1907. Serial No. 389,811.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BREWER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Noroton Heights, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut,have invented a new and useful Universal Joint, of which the followingis a s ecification.

his invention relates to jointed shaftcouplings and has particularreference to that t pe of such devices which employs two forkec shaftheads each having a pain of trunnions, the two pairs of trunnions'beingmounted in a coupling ring at a right angle to each other.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a universal joint orshaft-coupling of this character in which all the bearings are dust andmoisture proof, so that nothing detrimental to the working of thecoupling can gain access to any inner part thereof.

Another object is to provide means for automatically lubricating all ofthe bearing surfaces of the joint, and to make the coupling oil tight soas to prevent the escape of any oil and therefore enable all of thelubricant to be utilized at the bearing surfaces.

Another object is to provide a universal joint or shaft coupling whichrequires no tools whatever for separating or assembling the partsthereof.

Other objects and features of my invention relate to strength,simplicity, durability and accessibility of parts, all as will appearmore full hereinafter.

0 these ends, my invention consists in the construction and combinationof parts substantially as hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a completeembodiment of my invention, including portions of two shafts which arecoupled by the joint. Fig. 2 is a similar view, with parts in section.Fig. 3 is an elevation from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 4; represents atransverse section through the coupling, one forked shaft head beingremoved. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the inner member of the casingor ring which couples the two shaft heads. Fig. 6 is a detail elevationof one of the halves of the easing member shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is adetail end elevation of one of the bushings.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in allof the views.

As best shown in Fig. 2, each shaft head 10 is forked and has twotrunnions 11, said heads being formed. to receive, and to be keyed on,shafts as indicated at 12. The casing or ring which couples the twoheads together comprises inner and outer members. For convenience ofdescription only, and without limiting myself by the use of such terms,I shall hereinafter refer to the inner member as the casing and theouter member as the ring.

The casing member, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is composed of twohalves 13, 14, the faces of which are dovetailed or tongue-andgrooved tofit each other, as indicated at 15. Said casing member is formed with anannular recess or groove 16 and with two smaller peripheral grooves 17,the purposes of which will be presently described, and with fourequally-spaced radial openings 18 to receive the bushings 19. Two of theopenings 18 are formed by opposing semicylindrical re cesses in theabutting faces of the two halves of the casing.

The bushings 19 (see Figs. 2 and 4) receive the trunnions 11, and areformed with flanges 20 which rest on planed seats 21 formed at the innerends of the openings 18, and the inner faces of said flanges arerecessed to receive packing 22. As will be understood, the casing ismade in two halves for convenience in assembling the same and thetrunnioned shaft heads.

The outer member of the coupling, which holds the parts so far describedassembled,

consists of a ring 23 having an internal recess 24 registering with therecess 16 of the inner member to form a continuous annular oil chamber,said ring having also two small internal grooves registering with thegrooves 17 of the inner member, and an external groove 25 which receivesthe spring 26 presently described. It is provided with an opening 27(see Figs. 1 and 4) through which the oil-chamber may be filled, saidopening being closed by a plug 28. The ring and plug are formed withcooperating seat and flange respectively to limit the inward movement ofthe plug, and the plug is held to its seat by the'spring 26, said springhaving an inturned end 29 forming a knob which engages a central recessor seat in the *plug.

aid knob and seat prevent the spring from slipping around in the groove.The plug has a radial groove 30 to accommodate the spring, said groove,as well as the groove 25, being of a depth to fully receive the spring.Each end of the spring is rounded so as to present nothing that would beliable to catch and result in twitching the spring away, said springlying closely in the groove. The plug, when seated, extends in farenough so that its inner end will serve to prevent the ring fromslipping off sidewise from the inner member or casing. Therefore, theparts, when assembled, are held Without the aid of any screws, bolts, orother devices that require the use of tools to remove them. To separateall the parts, it is only necessary to unseat the spring from the plug,remove the plug (the latter having a groove 31 Fig. 4 which may beengaged by the finger nail), then slip the ring 28 sidewise off from thecasing, and then all the parts will practically fall apart. I

When the parts are assembled, the chamber formed by the opposingrecesses 16 and 24L may be filled with oil which can then obtain directaccess to the bearing surfaces ofthe trunnions, as clearly illustratedin Fig. 2. To aid the oil in flowing to all parts of the bearings, thetrunnions may be formed with spiral grooves 32. But such oil cannotescape past the packing 22. Nor can dust or moisture gain access to thechamber or the bearings.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the recess 16 in,

the inner member is enlarged laterally adj acent to each bearing,forming recesses 33. These recesses provide for a more positive feed ofoil to the bearings when the device is rotating; they collect thelubricant and deliver it to the bearings. It will be understood that thering 28 is formed to fit the periphery of the inner member as tightly aspossible while still permittin it to be removed and replaced laterally.As some slight amount of oil might work out in spite of the tight fit, Ihave provided the grooves 17 before described, which, in conjunctionwith the opposing grooves in the ring, form small annular receptacles tocatch and retain such lubricant as may find its way from the chamberformed by the recesses 16 and 24-.

It will be apparent that my improved universal joint or shaft couplingis not only dust and moisture-proof, but is also strong and durable,provides for automatically lubricating the bearings without permittingany of the lubricant to escape, employs no fastenings that require theuse of tools; the parts are easily and qfpickly accessible for cleaningor repairs t e bushing bearings may be easily replaced by new ones, andthe joint or coupling as a whole receives its sup ply of lubricant at asingle point by simply temporarily removing the plug.

Having now described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising two trunnioned heads,and a coupling therefor consisting of inner and outer members having anannular lubricant chamber between them, the inner member comprising twohalves with tongue-andgroove meeting faces and having trunnion bearingswhich communicate with the lubri cant chamber, the outer memberinclosing the two halves of the inner member and holding them assembled,annular receptacles to catch or detain escaping oil being formed eachside of the lubricant chamber.

2. A device of the character described, comprising two trunnioned heads,and a coupling therefor consisting of inner and ogter members having an'annular liibricant chamber between them, the inner member being formedof two parts and having radial olpenings communicating with saidchamber, t e trunnions of the heads bein supported in said openings,removable bus 'ngs being mounted in said openings and providing bearingsfor the trunnions, packing being interposed between the inner ends ofthe bushing and the o posing faces of the heads and surrounding t etrunnions.

3. A device of the character described, comprising two trunnioned heads,a con ling therefor consistin of an inner member aving bearings for t etrunnions of the heads and an outer member inclosing the inner member,an annular lubricant chamber being formed between said members, theouter member having an opening, a plug for closing the said opening,said plug extending into the lubricant chamber, the outer member havingan external groove, and a spring lying in said groove and bearing at oneend on'said plug to retain it in position.

4. A universal joint or shaft coupling, comprising two forked headshaving trunnions, a coupling therefor consisting of an inner memberformed in two halves and having bushed openings to receive saidtrunnions and formed with an annular external recess, an outer ringmember having an annular recess and an opening and an external groove, aplug to close said opening, and a spring lying in the external groove ofthe outer member and bearing at one end on the plug, the inner end ofthe plug extending into the recess of the inner member.

5. A universal joint or shaft coupling, comprising two forked headshaving trunnions, a coupling therefor consisting of an inner memberformed in twnhalves and having hushed openings to receive said trunnionsand formed With an annular external recess, an outer ring member havingan annular reeess and an opening and an external groove, t

of the inner and outer members, and packing surrounding the trunnions atthe inner ends of the bushings.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES A. BREWER.

a plug to close said opening, and a spring lying in the external grooveof the outer member and hearing at one end on the plug,

the inner end of the plug extendin into the Witnesses: recess ofthelnner member, smal annular CARL E. Knot grooves belng formed 1n themeeting surfaces C. S. PURDY.

